Cavatina and cabaletta:

La Sonnambula is written in the style of bel canto, which literally means “beautiful singing.” This emphasizes beauty of tone, an even legato, mastery of breath control, agility in florid passages, ease in attaining high notes and lyrical quality of the vocal line—often at the expense of the orchestral accompaniment. In addition, the singer is expected to interpolate tasteful embellishments and ornamentations into the vocal line, especially at its repetition.

Many of the arias (and even duets and ensembles) follow a cavatina/cabaletta formula. This usually starts with an orchestral introduction where the melody is presented. The music then comes to an abrupt halt at a dominant cadence. The orchestra then starts again with a simple accompaniment, and the singer picks up the same tune that was presented in the orchestral introduction—typically a slow, lyrical melodic line known as a cavatina. There are usually two verses, followed by a brief episode in which the situation changes—either a messenger brings important news, a new decision is made, or an action occurs. The music that follows is a faster, more vigorous aria, known as a cabaletta. This cabaletta aria expresses a new emotion in response to the news, decision or action. It usually has two verses, with the second verse highly embellished with interpolated runs, grace notes, trills and unwritten super-high notes.

It was traditional in the opera of this era and style to introduce each of the main characters by using the cavatina/cabaletta format. A group of peasants has gathered at the outskirts of a Swiss village to celebrate the engagement of Amina, an orphan girl, to Elvino, a young wealthy farmer. The first character to be introduced with a solo is Lisa, the landlady of the local inn. She is feeling no joy at the moment because she is also in love with Elvino. He has rejected her in favor of Amina. In a plaintive aria, Lisa laments that amidst such joy, only she feels sadness. To a typical Bellinian accompaniment—strings playing softly outlining the basic chord structure—Lisa expresses her sorrow (Ex. #1a).

Note how in the reprise of the aria, the original melody notes are embellished by triplets, scale-wise runs and a high C (Ex. #1b).

This aria has no cabaletta per se, but its two verses are separated by and followed by a chorus in praise of Amina over which Lisa expresses her pain and despair. In the meantime, in a subplot, Alessio, a villager in love with Lisa, tries to win her over.

Amina makes her first entrance exclaiming her joy to everyone gathered on this special day in her life. She sings a simple cavatina in 4/4 time, marked cantabile sostenuto (song-like and sustained) and reveals her simple, trusting nature (Ex. #2a).

The gradually increasing fioritura (ornamental passage) is a natural outgrowth and extension of these sentiments (Ex. #2b).

After a brief transition in which the villagers bless Amina, hoping that heaven should always “strew flowers upon” her path, the cabaletta begins. First the flutes and clarinets play the four-bar melody, ending abruptly on a dominant cadence (Ex. #3a).

Then Amina begins her aria with the identical melody, one octave lower (Ex. #3b).

Soon the chorus joins in to her ever-increasing rapturous outpourings and the concomitant vocal display (Ex. #3c).

As Amina repeats the opening melody, she adds the traditional interpolations of runs, trills and high notes. After a rapid twenty-note descending chromatic scale (Ex. #3d), Amina reprises the aria with exciting and technically demanding ornamentation, clearly a tour de force for a capable coloratura soprano.

Elvino enters amidst the ongoing festivities. He explains that he is late because he had gone to his mother’s tomb to pray for her blessing upon Amina. A notary lays out the marriage contract and asks Elvino what dowry he is giving. He responds, “my farm, my homes, my name, all that I posssess.” When the notary asks Amina what she is giving, she answers, “I only have my heart.” As they sign the document, Alvino gives Amina an engagement ring—the same ring his mother wore. Two clarinets, at the interval of a third, play the introduction to Elvino’s cavatina, in which he pours out his affection towards Amina (Ex. #4a).

Soon flutes join in, enriching and embellishing the orchestral texture. Pizzicato strings and sustained violas become a support for Elvino’s aria, to the same melody as the introduction (Ex. #4b).

As the villagers attest to the validity of their vows, Amina and Elvino repeat the main melody of the aria in a duet, with Amina taking the lower note and Elvino harmonizing above (Ex. #4c). This is the same music which the clarinets had played earlier as a duet in the introduction.

The tempo changes to allegro as the chorus declares that their vows have now been recorded in heaven above. This leads to the cabaletta, sung first by Amina then Elvino, then in duet and joined by the chorus. This music is first introduced by the flutes and clarinets (Ex. #5a).

It is in 6/8 time in F minor, with a waltz-like feel with a strong beat on the first and fourth beats of the bar and weak beats on the others. First Amina, with dancelike fervor, expresses her wish that she could explain her love in words (Ex. #5b).

Elvino responds in the relative major key of A-flat major, expressing his ardor (Ex. #5c).

The villagers add their encouragement and the scene ends with Amina and Elvino at the peak of their happiness.

A stranger by the name of Rodolfo enters the scene. He is inquiring the way to the castle, but Lisa tells him that he cannot reach it by nightfall and suggests that he stay at her inn for the night. In a slow cavatina marked andante cantabile, Rodolfo muses to himself, recalling the scenes of his youth in this location (Ex. #6a).

The villagers support his vocal line as they talk among themselves about this stranger, whom no one recognizes. Suddenly the music changes to a lively allegro in 6/8 time as Rodolfo—his identity as a count and lord of the castle not yet having been revealed—realizes that wedding festivities are taking place. This brief transition leads to the cabaletta. The flute, oboe and clarinet introduce its melody (Ex. #6b).

Roldofo launches into the lively cabaletta (Ex. #6c), where he flatters Amina with compliments, exclaiming how her eyes remind him of a beautiful girl he once knew in his youth.

The chorus punctuates his lively aria with staccato chords leading to the obligatory repetition of the verse.

All the main characters have now been introduced through the cavatina/cabaletta technique. Elvino is a bit concerned that Rodolfo is paying a bit too much attention to Amina. In a duet with her, he confesses that he is jealous even of the breezes that caress her. The two of them conclude the scene with a duet in which they promise never again to doubt each other as they express their undying devotion.

Two Sleepwalking Scenes

The opera’s plot hinges on two sleepwalking scenes. The first of these creates the conflict, and the second resolves it. Near the end of Act I, scene i, Teresa, Amina’s foster mother, warns that a phantom haunts the village each night, appearing as an apparition. Rodolfo promises to investigate.

Act I, scene ii takes place at a room in the inn where Rodolfo is staying for the night. Lisa, the innkeeper, brings news that his identity as the count has become known. As she sees him to his room, they engage in a brief flirtation. When they hear a noise at the window, Lisa quickly departs but accidentally leaves behind her handkerchief. The “apparition”—none other than Amina walking in her sleep—has made its nightly appearance.

Amina, oblivious to all around her, has entered Rodolfo’s room through the window, to the accompaniment of tremolo chords in the strings. She is calling out the name of her beloved Elvino. Lisa, still in love with Elvino, peers into the room. Seeing Amina there, she seizes upon an opportunity and runs out unseen. A repetitive orchestral figure in the clarinets (Ex. #7) underscores the musical “dialogue” between Amina and Rodolfo.

Although their musical lines alternate as if in dialogue, it is not a true dialogue because they are not conversing with each other. Amina is in her own world, and Rodolfo is merely commenting on the strange event which is taking place before him. In her sleep Amina speaks of her upcoming marriage to Elvino. For a fleeting moment Rodolfo contemplates the possibility of taking advantage of the situation, but thinks better of it and leaves the room to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

Amina lies down on Rodolfo’s bed and falls asleep. But the scheming Lisa has summoned the villagers, including Amina’s fiancé, Elvino. Their quiet, stealthy entrance is depicted in the orchestra by unison pizzicato strings (Ex. #8a).

Soon a melody emerges, first in the orchestra, then sung by the villagers (Ex. #8b), as they comment on what they believe is scandalous behavior—Amina sleeping in Rodolfo’s bed.

Elvino enters to agitated music in the violins and woodwinds (Ex. #9).

He discovers Amina just as she awakens, unaware of how she ended up in Rodolfo’s bed. Elvino immediately denounces her as unfaithful as the agitated underscoring continues (see Ex. #9).

But Teresa has a trump card (to be used at the end of Act II). She takes the handkerchief that Lisa had dropped and keeps it as evidence for later. Despite Amina’s protestations of innocence, Elvino finds no comfort in her words. Their musical lines echo each other (Ex. #10).

This duet turns into an ensemble for the principals and chorus. The first part of the +ensemble is in a slow 12/8 meter with a triplet feel on each of the four strong beats of the measure (Ex. #11a).

Elvino breaks off the engagement and the music turns into a rapid 4/4 meter marked allegro (Ex. #11b).

Amina faints and Elvino rushes out. Only Teresa believes in Amina’s innocence.

The second sleepwalking scene occurs at the end of the second and final act. Lisa has convinced Elvino to marry her instead of the “unfaithful” Amina. Count Rodolfo, however, tries to dissuade Elvino from this by explaining that Amina is a somnambulist (Ex. #12).

Never having heard of such a phenomenon, Elvino is incredulous.

Meanwhile, Teresa, after learning of Lisa’s intentions to marry Elvino, takes out the handkerchief which she found in Rodolfo’s bedroom and confronts Lisa with it. Now Elvino feels betrayed by Lisa as well as Amina. Rodolfo again tries to explain to Elvino that Amina is a sleepwalker and is innocent of any wrongdoing. Elvino demands proof. Just then Rodolfo points to the roof of the mill, where—sure enough—Amina is sleepwalking across a narrow bridge spanning the mill wheel. The villagers gasp and utter a prayer as they fear for Amina’s safety.

As she continues her precarious sleepwalk, the orchestra plays a figure heard in her first sleepwalk (see Ex. #7) and a few bars of the cabaletta Amina sang earlier (see Ex. #5a). Amina takes the now-withered flowers Elvino had given her as she laments the loss of the ring Elvino took back. This leads to her final two arias, a classic cavatina/cabaletta pairing.

The first aria, “Ah! Non credea mirarti” (“Ah, I had not thought to see you”) is one of the most exquisite melodies in all of Bellini’s output. It is in A minor, with the first four notes ascending in the classic melodic minor configuration—with the sixth and seventh degrees raised (Ex. #13a) and the first phrase concluding with an artful ornamental turn (see measure #4).

Elvino gently interjects a few asides during the aria, but Amina is oblivious to them. The aria is through-composed, with no repetitions or recapitulations, and it culminates with a graceful fioritura on “par amor” (“like love”) (Ex. #13b).

During the transition, in classic cavatina/cabaletta structure (where a new action or decision is reached—here Elvino places the ring back on Amina’s finger), she falls into Teresa’s arms as Elvino kneels before her. The villagers shout, “Viva Amina!” (“Long live Amina”), and she awakens. She cannot believe what is occurring. Elvino declares his love for her, calling himself “your lover, your husband who kneels before you,” as the crowd rejoices.

The orchestra launches into the bright theme of the cabaletta (Ex. #14a), one of the classic gems of the bel canto repertoire.

Amina immediately takes up the joyous melody (Ex. #14b).

She concludes with an ecstatic coloratura display of runs and ever-higher notes, all the way up to an E-flat above the classic high C.

This scene is a precursor to the famous “mad scenes” of Bellini’s I Puritani and Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, both written just a few years later, and is a hint of the sleepwalking scene in Verdi’s Macbeth. La Sonnambula is the only one of these operas with a happy ending. All sorrow has been cast aside as “The Sleepwalker” is joyfully reunited with her beloved.